Greeley woman could face felony charge for scratching neighbor’s car

A Greeley woman could face a felony charge for vandalizing her neighbor’s car.

Margarita Ortiz, 30, was arrested this past week on suspicion of one count of criminal mischief for scratching her neighbor’s Mercedes Benz with a rock, according to court records.

The neighbor, Amani Muderwa, 28, called Greeley police about 5 a.m. this past Tuesday after waking to a strange noise in the parking lot of his apartment complex, 2501 Ash Ave. He witnessed through his bedroom window Ortiz scratching his car.

Once on scene, further investigation by officers revealed additional damage to Muderwa’s Mercedes included a broken windshield wiper, a quarter-sized crack to the windshield and the removal of the car’s emblem. The main scratch ran around the entire vehicle, according to records.

Muderwa told police he tried to confront Ortiz about the vandalism, but she drove off before he could run outside to the parking lot. Officers later caught up with Ortiz, and she admitted to causing the damage. She said it was in retaliation for Muderwa hitting her mother’s car with his door in the parking lot several weeks earlier, according to records.

Damage to the car was estimated at $3,000.

Ortiz was released from Weld County Jail on her own recognizance. Formal charges by the Weld District Attorney’s Office are due by 3:30 p.m. Friday.

The criminal mischief charge was categorized as a Class 6 felony. If it sticks, Ortiz faces up to 18 months in prison and a fine of $1,000 to $100,000 if convicted.

— Joe Moylan covers crime and public safety for The Greeley Tribune. Reach him at jmoylan@greeleytribune.com, (970) 392-4467 or on Twitter @JoeMoylan.